A recanvassing has been requested for Harlan County votes in last week’s primary election.

According to Harlan County Clerk Donna Hoskins, her office received the word concerning the action.

“I have received from the Board of Elections a request for a recanvass on the votes cast in the primary election for Gene Smallwood Jr.,” Hoskins said. “The recanvass will be performed at 9 a.m. on Thursday.”

Hoskins added the recanvass will take place in the fiscal court courtroom in the Harlan County Courthouse.

Hoskins explained recanvass is for the office of the 7th District Appellate Judge.

Hoskins pointed out a recanvas is not the same as a recount.

“With a recanvass, we look at our tapes from the voting machines and compare the totals,” Hoskins said. “If a recount was requested, we would have to hook up the voting machines and rerun the tapes. There is also a fee involved in a recount.”

Hoskins added any candidate can request a recanvass any time before the deadline is up. The deadline for the primary election was 4 p.m. on May 29.

Smallwood won the race for the unexpired term for the 7th Appellate District Court of Appeals 2nd Division, beating Kevin P. Sinnette, David Allen Barber, Larry E. Thompson, Donald Howard Combs and Jim G. Vanover.

Hoskins mentioned approximately 23.75 percent of registered voters in Harlan County participated in the primary election.

According to Kentucky Secretary of State website, “the Secretary of State also serves as Chair of the State Board of Elections, an independent agency that administers the Commonwealth’s election laws, promulgates administrative regulations necessary to properly carry out its duties, supervises the registration and purgation of voters, appoints political party representatives to the 120 county boards of elections and certifies the official election results.”